Ray White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray White
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Ray White with Zappa Plays Zappa, Copenhagen, 2007
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Rock and roll, blues rock, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Labels | DiscReet Records, BlueSideDownStudios Recordings, Forecast Music |
| Associated acts | Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, Zappa Plays Zappa, KVHW |
Ray Shirley White Sr. is an African American singer and guitarist. He is known for his soulful voice and rock and blues guitar playing. Many people know him best from his time playing with Frank Zappa's touring bands.
Ray White's Music Journey
Ray White joined Frank Zappa's band in late 1976. He played rhythm guitar and sang vocals. On later tours in 1980 and 1984, he often sang harmonies with Ike Willis. Their voices blended very well together.
You can hear Ray White's singing on several of Frank Zappa's albums. These include Zappa in New York (released in March 1978) and You Are What You Is (released in September 1981). He also appeared in concert videos like The Torture Never Stops and Does Humor Belong in Music?.
The The Torture Never Stops video is from Zappa's 1981 tour. The Does Humor Belong in Music? video was filmed in New York in 1984. This video shows White and Ike Willis singing harmonies together. Frank Zappa mentioned that Ray White was a very religious person. He felt uncomfortable with some of the other band members' different beliefs, which led to his departure from the band.
Other Musical Projects
After his time with Frank Zappa, Ray White worked with other groups. These included jam-oriented bands like KVHW, Don't Push the Clown, and Umphrey's McGee. He also collaborated with many artists from Michigan. These artists included Bob Weaver, a former drummer from the band Rare Earth. He also worked with members of the funk/fusion group Generic Produce.
In 2007, Ray White joined Dweezil Zappa as a special guest. This was for the Zappa Plays Zappa Tour, which celebrated Frank Zappa's music. White is also a member of a group called Band From Utopia. This group is also known as Banned from Utopia. It was formed by former members of Frank Zappa's bands who wanted to honor his work.
White is also part of The Zappa Band. This group includes other musicians who played with Frank Zappa. The members are keyboardist and guitarist Mike Keneally, multi-instrumentalist Robert Martin, bassist Scott Thunes, drummer Joe Travers, and guitarist Jamie Kime. Ray White contributes vocals and guitar to this group.
External links
- Official Ray White official website: http://RayWhiteMusic.com/
- United Mutations
- Project Object
See also
In Spanish: Ray White para niños
